Gwenifer?

[Tirnanogg]

I'm looking for a proper unicorn of a name. I would like a first and middle name, ideally allowing Gwen as a nickname, with a nod to the name Jennifer in there somewhere (both grandmothers!) AND be a legitimate, not totally made up name.

We're Welsh-speaking Welsh and Cornish, living in Wales, but I'd like it to be something the English side of the family can say.

I came across Gwenifer this morning, which seems to satisfy most criteria, but is it a real name?!

Gwynefyrr looks like it could be a Welsh name? 😁 Gwenifer just looks awful, you get an immediate Gwen + Jennifer impression. A girl in my secondary school had a name like that (it was the two names of her grandmother's chopped in half) and every time a new teacher did the roll they'd ask if it was some sort of hybrid name.

It sounds like something the papers would call a couple in a relationship. Gwyn and Jennifer.

You could just call her Gwen.

I came across a Penguin once, actual name Gwen, someone had said 'pass me a pen, Gwen' and it stuck!

I prefer that to Gwenifer

Gwenifer sounds like a co-dependent celebrity couple called Gwen and Jennifer. See Benifer.

Guinevere?

Try to separate what you want from what the child needs.

the child needs a functional name
you want meaning/sentimentality

don’t sacrifice the functionality of the name.
if you call a child Gwenifer, she will be forever saying, no it’s not Jennifer, it’s Gwenifer.

you want a unicorn of a name
but will your child?

This. Absolutely this.

I love Gwennan, especially if you’re in Wales, and Gwen is a gorgeous nn. As a pp said, Gwen is already a nod to Jennifer but you could also have it as a middle name - Gwennan Jennifer is lovely.

Other Gwen names like Gwendolyn, Guinevere are lovely too, but I like the simplicity of Gwennan or even just Gwen.

(as pp’s have said I’d say Gwenifer is a definite no)

Gwennan is lovely. Guinevere is beautiful but probably a bit too fairy-story. I was also going to say Genevieve or Ginevre but they are more French.. (St Genevieve is patron saint of Paris .. kick ass woman who helped defend Paris from barbarians in 4 or 500 something I think and unlike a lot of female saints did not die a martyr.. )

Just no!

Ginevra
Janferie
Gwenllian

Gwen is a bit dull imo but better than Gwenifer.

Genevieve is lovely, but probably be shortened to Gen or Jenny

gwynwen

How about Gwyneth ?

Gwenifer sounds like 'Brangelina'.

A total mixture, and not a good one.

You may as well just go with Jennifer or Gwendolyn or Guinevere.

Not Gwenifer please. It too obviously sounds like two names shoehorned into one. There are many very pretty alternatives here.

I wouldn’t worry about the cousin Arthur.

But what do I know - I have never heard of Gwendolyn Mary Lacey, so don’t take my word for it.

Sounds like a celebrity couple made up name to me, sorry. Sort of like Brangelina or Bennifer.

What about Gweneira? I think that's so pretty, especially if you are having a winter baby.

It’s weird and sounds made up. Pick a Gwen name or Jennifer and use the other as a middle name.

@DinoRodney ,Gwyn is a boy's name. Adding n or nne at the end won't help.
@porridgecake , Guinevere isn't Welsh.
@IHateLegDay , that's offensive.

@WilhelminaBunter , Gwendolyn is from Gwendoline. The -yn ending is masculine in Welsh. The Welsh name is Gwendolen (said as Gwen-DOL-enn, not GWEN-duh-lyn)

@MolkosTeenageAngst , Gwenore? not Welsh and not a name.

😂

It's really not. Only in mumsnet land. I had to Google Gwedoline Mary Lacy and I read Malory Towers as a kid.

Gwenda, Gwyneth, Gwennan, Gwenllian, All could be shortened to Gwen.

What about Gwynne?